The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-12
"You forget the penalty, ne saIa.

he threw himself headlong across the
counter and lay there limp Opium,
he groaned. My wife-my bride, God
pity herr
The druggist assisted him to a seat
and then compassionately offered him a
small quantity of the drug Herbert re-
fused to accept it,
Never again, he moaned- Il will
never take it again. But my wife, how
shall tell herr My poor wife, the bride
of an opium eater!"
He refused again the drug proffered by
the sympatlIizing pharmacist, and tottered
into the street
IAN opium eater, and did not know
it. Betrayed by friend," Again and
a,ain lac repeated the words, as he wan
dcrcd ainllcssly through the streets. His
lOol. crew wild and he felt that he was
attracting attention. His strange mutter-
ings and eccentric ways might lead to his
arrest. SO he called cab and was driven
t. his hotel.
The knowledge that he was nearing his
wife, and tho resolution to disclose to her
the truth. gavc his look firmness and his
face the determined expression of one
steatfast in purpose. His wife was wait
ing for him to breakfast with her. She
wore a morning robe in which heretofore
she had appeared surprisingly beautiful
Strange to say, the dress seemed positively
ugly and his wife's face had lost much
of its charm.
Only the vision of an opium cater"
H. moanctl, 10 he threw himself into a
chair by table and buried his face in
his arms.
His wife fastened to him, and asked
if he were Ill. but he heard another voice
-
had been more dulcet music to him. His
v.fc'G tones were harsh and discordant.
while those of the tempter Were soft, per-
s,iasive and harmonious with his desires
My God, what revelation it is, - he
cried ont in anguish. ''All the happi
ness of the past months only the dreams
OF an opium cater
Then Inc rose. and with eyes fixed on
her anxious face he, with stern resolu-
ton, and needless of the tempter's plead
inSs to resort to the drug for escape from
his woes, told the whole story to his
frightened wife.
Believe ME, Eleanor, when / asked
yoa to become my wife. when / led you
to the altar, and there pledged anew my
fidelity for you, and avowed again my
love for you, even when l babe the
traitor friend adieu on the deck of the
steamer, even then did not know l was
an orial1 eater. Nor did / know it at
any time until the druggist this morning
revealed to me the horrible truth Do
you believe me. Eieanor?'
He advanced end seized her hand.
Somehow the action and his fierce look
seemed to mean. If you do not, will
go back to the drug
But it was easy for her to declare faith
in, Ghn Ennxu no toll ha
truth and convinced him that she did not
disscmble.
THANK you. dear, for your trust. Now
will You help me break the coils of this
habit
Eyes, my husband. l will be to you a
real woman, the wife of your actual life,
and not vision of the drug, fanciful,
mayhap beautiful, but nevertheless dis
torted. / would much prefer you to con-
slider me the homeliest woman ON earth,
if can be to you the companion and the
sOlace of this your great trial.
Then get ready at once to go home.
Say nothing to any one of the reason of
your departure
She interrupted:
My departure? Do you not so, too"
''Yes, but by slower way. / shall
take n sailing vessel
Then l, too, take passage in the
| sailer"
mo! | must be alone. This fight is
between me and the craving for opium,
which even now is gnawing as if it would
tear out my vitals. You will obey me in
| this?"
Il am your wife. You are the uncon-
| scious victim of n terrible habit. My
| place is by your side while You strive to
| overcome it.
| mo, not so. Eleanor, ] do not want
| to fall in love with my nurse, but / want
to come to you "A sane man and see with
unbiased eyes the woman l married. I'm
| til then | release you from your obliga-
ton. If 1 get well l will come back
again, and then, if love you and admire
| you, we will be remarked; provided. of
course, you still love me-
| "sOh, Herbert, You are certainly in
sane now-you talk so wildly" She
burst into tears; Historically she wept-
| He grimly began To pack her trunks
..Iou need not do that" she said. Il
will call my maid
| That brought him face to face with his
| great need. He understood the impulse
that lei him to the strange action
You See, Eleanor. that l must flee
that l must be alone and far from the
| possibility of getting opium"
In a few short, quick sentences he I'M
| folded his plans. He would leave at
once for the wharves and find sailing
vessel bound for America. Upon it he
would embark. She had better remain
and state that he had been called away
upon important business. When he was
cured Lc would return to her or meet her
in New York. She protested and wept,
but in vain. Leaving her abundantiy
provided with money and an order ON his
house for more, he FASTENED to liavre
and there secured passage on ship
about to sail for South America. His
wife, chagrined, broken hearted, re-
manned III Paris and informed her friends
Of the facts, but asked them to maintain
silence. They humanely obeyed her re-
| quest, AMI the sudden departure Of
Herbert Barrons to South America was
tributed to urgent business. No one
knew that he had embarked in a tardy
sailer-as lazy ship as ever ventured
into the deep.
The horrors of that long voyage. while
he dill duty before the mast, for the pur-
| pose of fixin" his mind upon something
real, ami distracting it from the craving
for opium. cannot be related here. Every
person who las been the slave of opium
knows the torturing desire for it that
constantly racks one in moments of alb
steniousness, the fierce hunger that
ciamors to b. fed on substance. No, on
deIirium and its shatows-on a waking
sleep and its visions.
| Herbert whistled for wind. In a
calm he scratched the mast. When a
storm ragged, and the slow ship rushed
before the winds, he alone knew no fear.
| Then ii WIS that he stool ut the wheel